Shoe



M. HILGER-r Aug. 2 1927.

SHGE

Filed NOV. 23,. 1921 /NVENT0R Fig. 4/6

Patented Aug. 2, 1.92.7.-

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

MATHEW HILGERT, or `ismw YORK, N. Y.

i suon. f

nppiicauen niedmvember 23,1921. semina. 517,245.

5' This invention relates toshoes and partie`r ularly kto the' provision' therein of a 'filler piece which, rwhile particularly conducive to the' comfortof persons havinfrvabnorma'l orf .tender feet, is at thesame time `helpful yto all persons wearing shoes of the' character yusual injthis andother civilizedy countries. :An important factor in Causing: the rtiring lof human feet, even when wearing. shoes feausedfby the relative slidingr movement of the sole'of the footl and theinsole of the shoe as thek sole is flexed during Walking. If the upper surface of the insole' ofthe shoe has become roughened or cracked, as it frequentfly does before the shoe is otherwise worn outthe `friction is much increased, Indeed ittisva common experience when yputting onI ngis .an Objecty of 'the fesant invention vto minimize, and so far ,as possible to elimiynate,l friction between thesole Vofthe foot ithefinventioncontemplates the yinsertion in aashoeofa' filler pieceQthe whole or at least Iforward portionof which is not secured.

,.toftheshoe. ,and which has its rupper surface `shaped to conform tothe sole ,ofr a human foot` thedfiller piece being shorter' l than the inside lengthof Lthe shoer so that v:is z

the yshoeis fiexed during walking the forj wardportion. Yof the filler 'piece' may v-move ,.relativelyjtofthe forward portion of the inf sole ofthe shoe ywithout buckling or wrin- ,l --lfzlingxy L The uppersurfaceof the insoleand i Y vrelation of the filler piece tothe insole ofthe kshoe when the shoe is resting flat upon the f `@round and when it isV fiexed asin walking,

the lowersurfaoerof the filler piecewill slide one on the rother yasmthefshoeisjfiexed while .there will be noy `relative ,longitudinal move gmentlofthe foot "and Vthe filler/piecel with the `resultthatrany roughness on 4the upper.

surfaoeof ythe insole will beimperceptible :ftothefootand the shoe'will kremain atall I timesy comfortable, assuming, yof course, that it a lproper fit,feven though in the coursey joftimejthe Yin solefshould crack orotlierwise:

f.disintegrate.y L; .l v

f In the illustrated" embodiment of vthe inwith a cupped heel, seat portion,y anareh whichy according to present day standardsy aiepconsidered to a. good fit,'is the friction `and the shoe structure lWith this inview jveution-the filler piece isshownus formed supporting shank portion` and abalance "piece, so-called, which underlies one sideof the ball portion of the foot' of rthe wearer so as kto correct the tendency of the foot to ,troll in the direction of the balance piece.

Experience has shown that a large majority of feet` tend'to roll outwardly and a small :though appreciable `minorityy tendto' roll inwardly,V the 'balance piece thus inthe majority of cases being uponthe outside,

that is upon the left side of a left shoe and the right side of a right shoe. whilein onlyl a minority of cases will the balance piece be upon Vthe inside. that is upon the left side of a right shoe and the rightside of a left shoe. i With the filler piece ythus formed and s' of *thelengtli indicated, the rearv portion thereof will'be stationary in thekr heel and shankportion rof the shoe `while there 'will ybe 'relative movement of the forward por "ation ofthe filler piece and the; insole `as the sho-e flexes. the foot thus beingsupported y 'in' a natural positionand friction being `eliminated ina mannerfwhichfis very comn yfortable to the wearer.

kVViththe yabove/fand other objectsandifea.-

ftfures inyiew-theinvention will now be de- -`scribed .inr connection with the accompany-` ingy drawings.l which; disclose ay shoe ein# bodyingthepresent invention, and pointed p out in "thei claims.

(In .thev drawings,

Fig. l is a erosssectionalview of a shoek containing' theffiller piece, the upper vof the shoebeing-cut awayupon a. plane substantially .parallel tothe sole of the shoe;

piece. wi th parts' broken away,`removed from ythe shoe; and

Figs Sand forepart ofthe shoe in section showing;r the the placing of a filler-piece 6 within the otherwise completed shoe. The `upper surface of the filler piece 6 isshaped to conform Fig. l2 is ay perspective view of the fillery 4 are side elevations with the to the sole of a human foot, being for this ,no

purpose provided with aheel seatportion 8 cupped 'both longitudinally and transversely (as Vshown in'Fig. 2), an arch supporting shank-portion 10, and aY balance piece Nl2 positioned usually beneath the Aoutside partof the ball portion ot the toot to correct the usual out-roll ot thewtoot, but it the shoe is` intended for. a lperson `whose feet.

have an in-roll then upon the inside of the ball portion. Thisliller.piece,-oi.toot fmold as it may be called,.provides a smooth :supporting surface tor thel toot through lwhich the heel nails of thelshoe will never penetrate. ecauseit is shaped to the sole of the toot it causesthe weight ot the Ywearer to rbe distributed over substantially the 'whole area ofthe sole .portion of hisatoot so that thefbones,,musclesjand-ligaments ot the toot are enabled to function substantial-V fly as they do when a person having a normal ltoot 'is walking barefoot. At the sani-e time the ytoot is supported by Vtheshoe and 'filler Lpiece in a manner which is most helpklful to Ipersons having-weak or sensitive feet. To `pei'mit the` filler` piece,whieh may be made of any suitable flexible mateiiahfto 'bend without wrinkling'or buckling aspthe ls'hoe yis 'flexed' in ,walkingfthe filler piece-1s made of a length somewhat shorter than the insidel length `Y`off the Vshoe as -elearly shown atll in Figsjl anelli. lVith this same Qb-y ect 'in view ythe-toeV portion ot 1the filler piece is shaped .to taper somewhat moreV abruptly than that otthe insole l16 lot the shoe `in which it isY inserted,this more abruptly tapered portion entendingtrom'a point 18 forward of the ball line ot the toot to the forward extremity?.V Vhen 'a liller piece ot vthis character is used in 'but not attached Vto a shoe,the tendency ot the tillerpiece to move relatively `to the tootissubstantially less than thetendency ot rthe `forward .por-

aunit v'iitlirespec't to theinsole ottheshoe,

the o'repart ot the ytillery puieoefcreeping repla- 'tivly to the'sole, and all'possibilityv ot discomfort due 'to .trietionfas the toot nieves vrelatively -t'olthe insole otfthe ordinary shoe Ais eliminated. V*To promote this ettectthe `Vllower surface of 3 the filler piece is made Y smooth, as shown in Figs. l, Zand 3, and the `'upper surface ot the insole o t the shoe l shouldv alsogbe as smooth as practical and .talcu'm or other appropriate'fpowder may be sprinkled between the iller piece and the insole. However even kit "theviiisole should ibecome cracked fatter-fthe shoe/*has been in use `for some time. or after Vthe slice. has ybeen flying idle, vstill Athe A'formation otfthe tillei jpieceyan'd itsfcapability ot iiexing without Vwrinkling as itsforward :portion moves over the insole are Y. such Yas toprotect the toot and render the shoe coi'nfortable jund'er eircu'mgV lthe shoe is flexed during walking. A bAY 'shoe having a illerpiece 'inserted gt-herein with at least its 'forward'p'ortiondetaehed from the `shoe andhavingfitsfupper 'tion of 'the yfiller 1piecetoinove*with respect to kthe insole otthe shoe astheshoeY is'iiexed so thatthe toot and thetillerpiece movezas stances which otherwise would render it practically v'unwearableg y n Having described my invention, what l Yclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patontot the "United States is:

l. A shoe having a detached, non-metallic,

filler piece inserted therein, said liller piece having a smooth lower surface and being ot a length substai'itially shorter than the inside lcngthot the shoe andhaving a taper at its florwai-d extremity morevabruptthan that ot the insole ot the shoe soas to permit the torepart ot the 'liller piece to slide relatively Yto the insole of the shoe without wiinkling or vbuckling as the sole ot `the Vshoe vis flexed during walking. y s

2. A shoe having a filler gpiece iinserted .therein with at least its toi-wardl lportion as to permit relative-.sliding movement of vthe forepart ot' the liller, pieceandthe torepartfo'f the insole of the slice as the select the shoe is flexed duringrwalking. Y

3. A shoe having a. filler piece :inserted therein with at leastits forward 'portion detached tromthe shove and havingiitsupper Y surface shaped 'to confornitotlie'sole portion eta human toot andfprovitled with "aiheel seatportion cupped bothjlong'it-udinally transversely, the filler piece having'aismooth lower surface andbe'ing o't substantiallyless `length than the insideflength 'of V the'shoe s0 y'as'.to permit 'relativesliding movement of vthe Ftorepart of' thefliller Vpiece andtheV forepart of the 'insole of the shoe asthe sole of su'rtaceshaped to conform lto the V'Isoleofav human "toot, the filler piece having a balance piecepositioned to underlie one SideV o'tthe lbally portion of theffoot 'of the wearer soas to counteract the tendency ofthe :tootto roll in lthefdirection ot thel balancefp'ieee, and being ot a length substantially shorter 'than theinsidelength ot the shoe vto permit relative slidingymovement oftheI filler piece and the insole of the shoe ras'the sole ofthe shoe yistleived during walking.

A shoe' having-.a '21e.ached'Y liner piece ilinserted therein provided with a 'cuppedheel seat portion and a balance piece arranged to underlie one side ot ftheballportionot the toot ot 'thetweaier -so'as to correct theft-endeney ot the `tootto'roll inthe direction fgl the lbalance piece, thel'liller lpiece heing fof Vsubstantially less length :than the 'inside length et `the'shoe so as to permit relative fslidinginoveme'nt ot the vlillerpiece and the :Isole fot the'ishoe as 'the solefot the 'shoe isa 1flexed 'during walking.v

both longitudinally and transversely,-an arch supporting shank portion, and a balance y o piece arranged tounderlie one side ofthe ball portion of the foot of the wearer to correct the tendency of the foot to roll in the direction ofthe balance piece, the filler piece having lat least its forward portion detached from ythe shoe and being of a length substantially less than the insideV length of the shoe to permit relative sliding'movement of the forward portion of the filler piece and the insole of the shoeas the sole of the shoe is flexed during Walking. o

7. A shoe having a filler piece therein shaped to conform to the sole portion of a `naine to this specification.

human foot and of a length a little shorter than the insidejflength of the shoe so aS t0 permit relative movement of the orepart of the filler pieeeand the orepart of the sole of the yshoe as the sole of the shoe is flexed during walking. f

, 8. A shoe having a flller piece therein of a'length a little shorter than the inside length of the shoe, so ythat the filler piece and the sole of the shoe may move relatively toy yone another as the sole o the shoe is flexed during walking,y without relative movement of the filler piece and the foot of the Wea-rer. In testimony whereof I have signed my op ',MATHEW HiLGERT. 

